Religious History

1105 Death of Rashi (b.1040), medieval Jewish Bible scholar. His name is a Hebrewacrostic for Rabbi Shelomoh ben Isaac. Rashi was the leading rabbinic commentator in hisday on the Old Testament and Talmud.
1769 Birth of Thomas Kelly, Irish Episcopal clergyman and author of 765 hymns,including 'Praise the Savior, Ye Who Know Him.'
1778 Anglican clergyman and hymnwriter John Newton wrote in a letter: 'It is perhapsthe highest triumph we can obtain over bigotry when we are able to bear with bigotsthemselves.'
1815 President John Adams wrote in a letter: 'The Hebrews have done more to civilizemen than any other nation. If I were an atheist,... I should still believe fate had ordainedthe Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations.'
1886 Birth of Father Edward Flanagan, American Catholic parish priest. Believing therewas 'no such thing as a bad boy,' in 1922 he organized Boys Town near Omaha, Nebraska.